


Love Scorned

by ssa_archivist



Series: Love, Marriage and Family [1]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, Futurefic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-12-05
Updated: 2002-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-01 04:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/352133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lois finally understands the true relationship between Lex and Clark</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Scorned

## Love Scorned

by babychan

[]()

* * *

Love Scorned 

"God, Clark, don't tell me you're reading that shit again!" 

The thick book fumbled in large hands as Clark's sheepish blue-green eyes looked up at the woman storming into the bedroom. "I..I was just..." 

Lois put her hand in the stop position and angrily shook her head, telling her husband that she didn't want to hear it. Not tonight. Not after she just got the call to cut the story she had been working on for over three months. Moreover, she didn't want to hear his bumbling excuses to why he was reading the book. Again. It was old argument. 

The book, which had more than once almost destroyed their marriage, was actually an autobiography. Lex Luthor's autobiography, as a matter of fact. It was titled "Simply Brilliant" and dedicated to the late tyrant himself. 

Lois glanced at picture on the cover and at the man who was poised in the very depiction of narcissistic arrogance. Such and egotistical prick that Luthor was. It was just like him to dedicate his own book to himself. Her eyes narrowed in raw anger. God knows, she hated Lex Luthor with a sadistic passion, and she would be the first to admit that she was glad when he died! 

Clark quirked a brow when he noticed his wife's scowl then remembered that he still hadn't put the book away. Guiltily, he quickly put it on his night stand, while Lois spun on her heel and stalked toward her dresser to angrily take off her earrings and undress. 

One would think that their marriage would have gotten better after the death of Superman's greatest rival Unfortunately, for Lois that wasn't the case because even after the tyrants death, Metropolis was _still_ going to Hell in a hand basket. Though this time it wasn't because of Lex's malicious orchestration. It was because the death of the megalomaniac sent the city, and most of Kansas, into an economic depression. LexCorp was the biggest corporation in the whole state, and one of the largest in the entire world. And Lex controlled it all, single handedly, within his iron fist. 

Also, and unfortunately, with Luthor gone, Superman kind of lost the drive to make the world a safer place, and it showed in his temperament when he went on rounds. It was only after it was too late did Clark and the MPD realize what a blessing having a Luthor as Don of the underworld was. Since the tyrants death, the crime rate had tripled. Superman tried to help regulate it, but he had been doing the "superman" thing for over 15 years now, not counting the adventures he had in Smallville, college, and his two year tour of Europe. Clark knew that he couldn't stop crime from happening and with the downward spiral of the economy, the task of ensuring order and peace was becoming too much. Clark almost wished that another evil mastermind would surface and help regulate things. But then again, he didn't want to see anyone else rise up and take Lex's place. 

Lois knew this and _that_ was the problem. It* wasn`t* Superman and his disillusionment. The problem lied with _Clark_. Instead of focusing his extra time on her, Lois's lover of 13 years, husband of ten of those, was now even more obsessed with Luthor than he was when he was still a reporter working for the Daily Planet. Everything that was once Lex Luthor' was now deemed holy ground or a sacred object to Clark. 

The raven haired woman left her thoughts and glanced at her image in the mirror, then at the reflection of her husband sitting on the bed behind her and sighed. There were so many things wrong in their marriage, and if Clark's obsession with Lex wasn't enough, there was such an age gap in their _appearance_ that it was almost disgusting. Lois was now 39 and looked very much her age, though she has been told that she has aged gracefully. Her dark hair was peppered with gray. She also had some distinguished looking crows feet around her eyes and mouth. On the other hand, her husband, who was 36, didn't look a day older than 23. It wasn't like he stopped aging. He just aged very very slowly. And _that_ was the real reason Clark quit working for the Planet and started his "career" as a stay at home novelist. 

He wrote two books. They even made the best seller list. But the problem with Clark's new job was that he had stopped working for the Planet _five_ years ago, and he had written the two books in his _first_ year after he quit the Planet. These last fours year, especially the last three, had been dedicated primarily to Lex Luthor. At one time, there was even a room in their apartment just for his investigation into Lex's life. 

At first Lois didn't mind, because his thorough investigations gathered the evidence that earned her two more Pulitzers. It's just that now, three years after Luthor's death, Clark still refused to give up the ghost. 

Lois always could smell a story where everyone smelled daisies, and the reporter in her knew that there was a story between these two rivals. It was no secret that Lex Luthor hated Superman with an unbridled passion. And Superman...well most would surmise that Superman reciprocated those same feelings of malice toward Luthor. Even Lois, herself, believed it to be true. 

Until Luthor died in that plane crash. 

She would never forget Clark's reaction when the newscaster announced that Luthor's plane went down for as long as she lived. Her husband didn't even try to mask his feelings. He looked like... he wanted to die himself. And then he was gone. Even before the newscaster could rap up his report, Superman was at the scene scouring the crash site. He stayed there for almost a full twenty-four hours trying to find evidence that Lex Luthor had indeed died in that plane. 

All who observed this believed that the world's hero only wanted to make sure Luthor was finally dead. 

But Lois, now, knew better. She knew that her husband was trying to find proof that his rival was _alive._

But he didn't. 

Luthor was dead. 

Much the her relief. 

And his dismay. 

In the end, Superman found the proof he so desperately _didn't_ want to find. Lex's metal hand was among the charred and scattered remains of the wreckage. There was no doubt that the hand was Luthor's. It was a one of a kind, and pure platinum. Lex used it to replace the hand that was riddled with cancer because of the Kryptonite ring he always wore. 

To keep not only Superman away but Clark away from him as well. 

While the world cheered and celebrated Luthor's death, Lois found her husband crying. Crying over the grave of his longest and most persistent "rival." 

Clark _and_ Superman disappeared for two weeks after Luthor's funeral. Lois wasn't surprised that he left, however she was surprised that _Superman_ ignored the Justice League's plea for help in assisting two natural disasters of epic proportion. Then to top it off, Superman even failed to rescue Lois from one of her infamous misadventures. 

Luckily for her, she only broke arm. 

Lois was furious. She wanted to know what the hell was wrong with him. But when her husband came back, Clark acted like everything was normal. He didn't bring up Luthor's death, and he pretended that her arm wasn't even broken. He was in a world of his own. A world of denial and even more of a bumbling idiot than he was when she first met him as a pup reporter. 

So she let it go. 

Because she had no choice. Clark wasn't going to talk about it. 

And because... She already knew the truth 

All of it. 

During those two weeks, during her husband sabbatical, Lois made a trip to Smallville and visited her in-laws. As long as she has known the Kents, she had known that the homely and sweet looking couple were neck deep secrets. Secrets about their freaky, little, backwater of a town. Secrets about Clark and about his past, and...about the relationship he had with the Luthor scion who used to live in the castle on the hill. 

However, for all her ingenuity and skill about knowing about a story before there actually _was_ one, Lois was surprised when she found out how close Clark and Lex really were. Or used to be. Even before she and Clark started dating, and even before she found out that he was really Superman, Lois knew that Clark knew Lex Luthor personally when he was a teenager. What she didn't know was that the two were _friends_

Intimate friends. 

Very Intimate. 

But even if Clark would have confided this relationship with her, she wouldn't have believed it. How could she? Clark Kent was a goof! He acted simple to the point of being retarded! Clark was filled with farm boy goodness; he was wholesome in every possible way. He was like homemade apple pie. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, was city boy, rich, suave, abnormally intelligent, and a corrupt as they come. The younger Luthor even surpassed his late father as it related to malicious corruption. And that was a feat! 

So to put those two together and categorize them as friends.... Friends?!!! HA! Lois couldn't even picture them living in the same small town! 

Nonetheless, even though she wouldn't have accepted their relationship as truth, Lois knew that Clark was the young scion's delivery boy. She also knew that Clark had saved the young Luthor's life, a few times, from disgruntled ex-employees. She remembered telling Clark that the world would have been better off if he would have let Luthor die back then. But Clark just bashfully looked away and assured her in a solemn whisper that when they lived in Smallville Lex was a different person. 

That confession was laced with so much guilt that Lois wanted to get to the root of it. But Clark didn't allow it. He dropped the subject like it was a piece of Kryptonite and never brought it up again, and never allowed Lois to either. 

However, that doesn't matter now, because now she knows the whole truth. 

While Clark went on hiatus, Lois took advantage of the fact that his parents were worried to death about him. In their distress, they told her of how close Lex and Clark were and even though Lex had changed for the worse, Clark secretly never gave up on his friend. 

Though the aged couple never told Lois that Lex and Clark were lovers, she kind of figured that out by herself. Also, by the way the Kent's told the story of the boys past, Lois realized that they didn't know. She didn't tell them because she saw no need to let Clark's obvious oblivious parents in on that little secret. However, during her in-laws confession she did find out why Clark felt so guilty for the way Lex turned out. 

It was his fault. 

In spite of this knowledge, she never told her husband that she knew. She decided to wait until Clark wanted to tell her. She promised herself that she wouldn't pressure him. She would give him that respect. It would be completely up to him to _trust_ her with that knowledge. Of course, her logic was flawed, seeing how she went behind his back and forced his parents into telling her everything, but in Lois's opinion that was besides the point. 

For two years she kept with this resolve. It killed her to do so, but she did it. Though sometimes she hinted at it and pressed the issue in hopes that he would crack. Sometimes, she would rent a movie, knowing that it had some sort of male homoerotic theme, or scene in it, and during that part she would watch her husband's reaction. She expected for him to get uncomfortable or aroused, at least a little bit. But what she got was... nothing. Every time, Clark gave her no reaction whatsoever. After a couple of times doing this, she was at the point of thinking that she was wrong about him and Lex. 

And then one day, out of the blue, Clark destroyed all the evidence he had gathered over the years on LexCorp and gave up on his obsession of Lex Luthor. He didn't talk about it with her, but finally he accepted that his "rival" was dead. 

Lois never thought she would see the day when Clark let Luthor go, but she took advantage of it. And for a short while, their marriage seemed to be going back up hill. In her opinion, they were finally happy. Truly happy. They were even talking about finally having children. 

It was perfect. 

Absolutely perfect until.... 

A gold gilded, leather bound copy of Luthor's autobiography arrived in Clark's mail. It was even autographed, and the inscription inside was elegantly written by none other than the dead man himself. 

That book has long been destroyed in one of Lois's fits of rage but until the day she dies, Lois would never forget its damn message. 

My dearest, dearest Clark, 

When you and I our love shall part  
Shall leave a blot in both our hearts  
I to a silent grave shall go, and  
Sleep my last as other do.  
All this , my love I want to say, but  
Night doth call, and I obey.  
With medication read these lines;  
You will in them a question find.  
Sweet is the question, mind it well;  
Heart to heart, so fare thee well. 

L. Luthor. 

p.s. Tell Lois I said hello. 

Clark shook so hard after reading it, Lois thought he was having a seizure. After he collected his wits, he almost left again that very day; however, Lois stopped him and confronted him. She demanded that he told her what the hell Luthor was talking about. She demanded the truth! 

She regrets that decision now. 

Because at her chagrin and for the first time, Clark gave it to her. The truth. And nothing but the truth. 

Clark told her everything she never wanted to hear. 

In a fit of tears, her husband confessed to her that he never wanted to be different. He never wanted the gifts that demanded him to do so much and carved out his destiny's direction. He never wanted to be an alien. And he _never_ wanted to be Superman! 

Sure, he wanted to help people. His parents told him that he should use his gifts to help people. But that wasn't why he became the worlds super hero. The true reason he _kept up_ the "Superman" persona was so that he would be in Lex's life. That was also why, in the beginning, Superman allowed Lois to interview him, all those times. Clark knew that there was no way he could share the information of his true origins with Lex, personally, but he knew that his ex would read those articles. Clark wanted to make sure that Lex always new the truth about him. He wanted to try an make things right between them. No more lies. No more secrets. 

Lois felt sick after he admitted this. This was not what she expected to hear. She honestly thought that Clark's story would follow along the same theme as his parents but with the extra detail that he and Lex were secret lovers. She didn't expect THIS!! The way her husband was carrying on, you would thing that he was talking about the unrequited love of his _soul mate._ And _she_ was supposed to be his soul mate. Clark gave her the bracelet to prove it. Sure, she demanded it after she heard the story about it, but that was besides the point. 

Lois wanted her husband to _shut up_ because she wasn't sure if she could take hearing anymore of his _truth_ But much to her dismay, he kept on speaking. 

He told her that when Lex left Smallville 19 years ago, he couldn't handle it. He tried to go on, but he couldn't. So, much to his parents chagrin, Clark started to shape his life around Lex Luthor. He even went to Met U because he knew that Lex lived in Metropolis, for the young Luthor had to take over the helm of LuthorCorp after his father's death...Murder. 

Clark would never forgive himself for Lionel Luthor's murder. Never. Because it was _his_ fault. He allowed Lex to believe a lie and then kill his dad to protect his secret. 

The secret of his true identity. 

But in the boy's defense, Clark didn't really believe that Lex would actually do it. If Clark would have _known_ that Lex would _kill_ his _dad_ to protect him, he would have never pretended to be human. He would have never pretended to be too weak, too helpless to free himself from Lionel's clutches. And Clark would have never allowed himself to protect his secret at all cost. Because the price was too high. 

It cost him Lex. 

And it cost Lex... his father. 

All the facts were there. All the incriminating evidence needed was neatly presented with a meticulous order that besets a Luthor. Even the spaceship was there. In spite of this and through the entire ordeal, the raven-haired boy knew Lex's father meant no _real_ harm to him. Not _yet_ anyway. The Kryptonite used to keep him chained to the lab table was making him sick. But Lionel had done his research well. He kept it close enough to make him physically weak, but far enough away so it wouldn't kill him. However, neither of the Luthor's knew that Clark wasn't truly injured and Clark used that to his advantage as he continued to deny his alien lineage. 

Still, Clark knew that Lionel was only trying to prove the truth to his recalcitrant son. The elder Luthor wanted Lex to see the truth that Clark was obstinately denying. Yet Lex refused to believe it. Why? Because Clark denied it, and denied it, and continued to "painfully" deny it despite the "torture" that Lionel was inflicting on him. _And_ because Clark had already told him the secret to his powers in the beginning of their romantic relationship. 

Luckily for Clark, he had already confided and admitted to his boyfriend that he had some extraordinary abilities. But because Clark feared that his father would end up being "right" about Lex, he also _lied_. He assured Lex that his abilities were the result of a mutation due to the meteor shower. And because the young scion had seen enough crazy shit in Smallville for it to be plausible, Lex accepted the confession as truth. However, the reason he continued to believe Clark despite all the proof to the contrary was simply because... he loved and trusted Clark with everything that he was. 

So when Lionel had kidnapped Clark, in attempts to prove to Lex that his young lover was lying and was not a mutant but an alien, an alien that he was going to exploit for all it was worth, Lex wasn't going to allow it. He wasn't going to allow Clark to be sacrificed... over a lie. He wasn't going to allow Clark to be sacrificed, period. So the scion did the only thing he could do. He killed him. He killed his father... for Clark... Only to find out that ... his father was telling the truth. And that it was _Clark_ who lied to him. But what really hurt Lex was that his love still didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth and that Clark _allowed_ him to kill his father to protect his lie. 

The ironic thing is that Lex would have done the samething to protect Clark even if he had known the truth in the first place because he loved Clark, with every thing he was. He wouldn't have ever done anything to hurt him. Not purpose, anyway. And it hurt Lex when he found out that Clark didn't love _him_ enough to believe in him. To believe that he wouldn't hurt him. 

Lex felt betrayed. Betrayed beyond repair. 

And that was why Lex left Clark and Smallville.... forever. 

Clark confessed to Lois that he was devastated when Lex left. The last two years of high school he was in a suicidal depression. He let go of his friendships with Pete, Chloe, and Lana. And after he graduated from high school, he defied his parents and attended Met U. He hoped that by living in Metropolis he would run into Lex. He hoped that maybe somehow he could make things right. But it never happened. Metropolis was a hell of a lot bigger than Smallville. Also, Lex was just too busy. He was now 24years old and the CEO of both LexCorp and LuthorCorp and combined the two business' made up the largest multination corporation in the world. The two men just didn't run in the same circles. And Clark couldn't even get close to him. 

When Clark graduated college at age 21, he followed Luthor all around Europe for two years instead of trying to find a job right off. Though his parents didn't know the true reason for this backpacking expedition, it pissed off his father. Jonathan felt that his son should be working and using his degree, but his mother felt it was a good idea to see the world. Martha eventually convinced his dad of the same. 

Clark was grateful for their support because, guiltily, he knew that even if he didn't have it, he would have left anyway. He needed to try and make things right with Lex. 

It took two years to get his chance but once while in Italy, he actually mustered up the courage to confront his ex. Clark confessed to his wife that on that fateful night, he had broken into Lex's villa because he wanted to explain why he did what he did. Why he lied. He wanted to make Lex understand that the reason he lied wasn't because he didn't trust him because he _did._ Lex was Clark's _everything_ , and the boy feared that if his lover knew that he was an alien then it would scare him off. He didn't want to risk that. He was just a 17year old kid when Lex left Smallville, and he was scared to tell the truth of his origins to _anyone_! However, that night, Clark told Lex everything he knew about himself. Which at the time, still wasn't much, but Clark still shared what he knew with his ex-lover and hoped that it wasn`t too late. Clark also assured Lex that he still loved him, that he had never stopped loving him and that he would _always_ love him, no matter what. Then to top it off, Clark even begged Lex, on bended knees, for forgiveness. 

But Lex didn't care. 

The damage was done. 

The young Luthor then preceded to tell him to get out of his house and stay the hell out of his life. Then to make sure his command was obeyed, the very next day, Lex hired Hope and Melody as his personal security and started wearing his infamous Kryptonite ring. 

The same ring that would have been the death of him, if it wasn't for the plane crash. 

Clark couldn't believe it. Lex _now_ knew all his secrets and didn't care! Well that's not true. He cared, but not in the way Clark feared he would. Lex didn't react like his dad prophesized. Lex didn't react the way all Luthor's were _supposed_ to react. He didn't try to exploit him. He simply... walked away. 

Clark confessed to Lois that he would have rather been strapped to a cutting table and lived out the rest of his life as a lab rat, than the cold indifference he received in Italy. 

It was that brush off that helped Clark decide that it was time to go home. Well, at least back to Metropolis. But unfortunately for Lex, Clark didn't leave Europe empty handed. While trailing Lex, the former farm boy was engaged in secret investigations against LexCorp. He wrote many stories that would distinguished himself as a competent reporter. The articles would foil some of Lex's plans to monopolized a couple of business. Clark knew that if Lex would have taken him back he would have chucked these exposs. But with Lex ignoring his existence, Clark had to get his ex-lovers attention some how. Even if his actions were going to make Lex hate him even more. Because in this farm boy`s opinion being hated was better than.... nothing. 

It was those articles that impressed Perry White enough to offer Clark the job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. But it was the content of those articles that convinced the aged editor to pair him up with the paper's top reporter. 

Six years before Clark got hired, Lois Lane had gotten some information that exposed some of the elder Luthor's corruption. The evidence she had almost destroyed the multinational corporation. 

Almost. 

But not quite. 

Nonetheless, not only did that story get her a job at the Daily Planet, it earned her a Pulitzer to boot. And ever since then Lois had made it her duty to inform the world of how evil the Luthor's really were. 

Clark didn't earn a Pulitzer for his story, but he did get a much coveted job and an even more coveted partner. Perry thought they would make a good team because he thought that they had the same goals. To bring Luthor down. 

Clark thought it was sort of funny how everyone just _assumed_ that he hated the Luther's too. They were so cocky ,so hateful when they talked about Lex. It sickened him, but he never said a word. If Clark didn't know how to do anything else, he knew how to keep a secret. So no one ever guessed that Clark _wasn't_ trying to destroy LexCorp. In truth, Clark was probably Lex's #1 clean up man. Whenever, the Daily Planet exposed one of Luthor's plans, Clark made sure that there was never enough evidence to incriminate Lex or destroy his company. No, despite popular belief, Clark didn't hate Lex Luthor, his ex lover. No, he just wanted to be a pebble in his ex`s shoe. 

Irritating as hell and impossible to ignore. 

Because Clark was tired of being ignored by Lex. 

The manifestation of Superman was a complete accident, but it served its purpose well. The medalling alien promoted Clark from being a pebble in the shoe, to being a thorn in Lex's side. And the raven-haired boy LOVED it because, now, he always had Lex's _complete_ attention. But in spite of all of his heroics and the problems he caused for his ex, Lex _never_ exposed _his_ secrets. That act of trust only made Clark love him more. As well as feel even more guilty for not telling Lex the truth in the first place. That courtesy even made Clark excuse the fact that Lex had attempted to murder him, a number of times. Clark knew he wasn't serious though. Despite popular belief, Lex never truly tried to kill him, and it _wasn't_ because of the lack of knowledge on how to do so, or the lack of resources. Lex knew everything about "Superman" It just turned out that over the years, their battles.... were almost like a game between the two superpowers. A game that only they knew about. For Superman could easily kill Luthor and vice versa but neither men took it that far. 

Lois left her memories of that confession and sighed. That confession almost ruined her and Clark's marriage, but somehow, they worked through it. Unfortunately the foundation of their relationship was now fragile and it wasn't strong enough to handle the next blow. 

A few months after Clark received his beloved book, Lex Luthor's illegitimate heir was found in Australia. The news of it was a shock to the whole world. Many of the major share holders of LuthorCorp and LexCorp contested the young man's birthright but DNA testing proved it to be true. However most of the general public didn`t need the DNA test to accept the young man as Lex Luthor`s heir, because the young man, who just so happened to have the same exact name as his late "father" looked like he could have been Lex Luthor's clone! He even had the same exact scar on his top lip. Although, there were a few exceptions. The new Lex, was young, 20 years old in fact, but most notably he had _hair_. A full head of beautiful flaming red hair. 

It didn't even take a year, after his discovery, before the young scion had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. He was reported to be as brilliant as his old man. Maybe even more so, if you believed everything the newspapers wrote. And the young Luthor had a reservoir of charm and charisma that gushed out like a geyser. However, many were still wary of the young man. He was still a Luthor, and the last two Luthor's, Lionel and Lex, were two of the evilest men that had ever walked this earth. So even though most people liked the new Lex, they didn't trust him. They feared him...until the fateful day when mutants came up out of the sewers and tried to take over the city. On that day the young Lex Luthor risked his life and helped Superman save Metropolis from mutants that tried to take over the city and destroy it. This act of bravery now made Lex Luthor II the new prince of Metropolis. He had won over _everyone_. 

He had everyone fooled into thinking that he was the late Lex Luthor`s son. 

Except Clark. 

It only took one glance into those pompous slate gray eyes for the raven haired man to know that behind that young face was his the real Lex Luthor. Clark didn't know how Lex did it, but Clark knew that inside that new body was Lex Luthor. He would bet his life on it. 

If anyone else realized this, they didn't comment on it because no one knew what a blessing the sadistic bastard Lex Luthor was to the city....Hell ,to the world until the tyrant died. But they knew now. Lex Luthor Sr. had Metropolis running like a well oiled machine. His tactics were underhanded and down right illegal, but he kept everything in an iron fist of control, and the city and the world prospered. After the plane crash, it didn't even take a year after his death for the world to fall in to an economic depression 

Lois didn't tell Clark but he wasn't the only one who had figured out that the son was really the father. She knew as well. This knowledge didn't come through investigation. It was simply because the young Luthor continued to secretly blackmail her, just as he did before he "died." Though this time it wasn't for medicine for her ailing mother. No, her mother had died two years ago. This time it was to keep her secret of all the times she had prostituted herself to Luthor to earn that medicine. The fee was the same as last time: to be a his slut for one night a month; and to cut one story of hers, a year, at his discretion. And tonight was no exception. The bastard enjoyed doing both. 

Lois wrapped her arms around her self, dug her nails deep into her skin and shivered with disgust. God she hated Lex Luthor. 

"Lois?" 

She turned her gaze toward her husband and snapped "Why aren't you out on patrol?" 

His brow furrowed quizzically and he admitted with warm concern ."I wanted to be here...with you..." 

Violet eyes narrow viciously and she spun so she wouldn`t have to look at him. He was lying and she knew it. He was here for a reason, but it wasn't for _her._

Clark swung his feet over the side of the bed, scooted off , and walked over to her. He pulled her into an close, tender embrace and soothingly caressed her back. "Oh..Lois..." 

She didn't want to but she melted into his ministrations. When he held her like this, she could almost make herself believe that he was doing this for her. She could almost ignore the fact that he was breathing in her scent like she was drug and he was addicted. 

Almost. 

It made so much sense to her now! On these particular nights he would never go on patrol. He chose to spend "quality" time with her. It was _only_ on these nights when he would be abnormally tactile with her. And when they made love, he pressed against her body as if he wanted to just crawl into her skin and stay there. 

Lois never made the connection before because she had never told Clark about her "meetings" with Lex. She convinced herself that she kept this secret because she was trying to protect him. Protect their marriage. Protect herself. But now she knew better. Because Lois had just figured out that Clark has known the whole damn time! 

She cursed her past stupidity and bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from manically and bitterly laughing. If she would have just _known_ what triggered all of those loving moments from him, she would have denied him access to her body. No matter how much she needed his touch to erase the feeling and memory of Luthor touching her and being inside her. But now... she understood EVERYTHING! She understood why Clark would suddenly have an oral sex fixation and go down on her until she thought she was going to die. She understood his need to be as close as possible to her. Clark was using her! He only wanted to be with her during these night because her bastard of a husband could smell his ex on her! He could probably still taste Lex on her too! Lois was the closest he would ever get to Lex. 

She was also the closest Lex would ever get to Clark. 

The very thought of being their middleman sickened her to the point were she wanted to vomit. And with that in mind, she spun around in her husbands embrace pushed him back. To her anger, the action startled him more than it moved him. 

"L-Lois what's wrong?" 

She looked up into his emerald eyes and could tell that they were dilated with lust. The sight only sevef to make her angrier and she pushed him back again. Harder this time and more violently. He didn't move and he didn't release her. But at her vexation, he no longer looked shocked. Instead, he looked at her as if he had all the patience in the world. "Patiently waiting for my sloppy seconds." Her mind growled and she pushed him back again, and this time he reluctantly released his hold on her. 

Clark bit his bottom lip and forked his brow in confusion. 

"I can't do this anymore, Clark!" 

"Can't do what?" He asked softly. 

She gestured between them, but meant something much more vast. "Us. It's not working anymore." She waited for him to protest. She _hoped_ he would protest, but the words never came. He just bowed his head and timidly scuffed his feet against the plush rug. Lois closed her eyes to hold back her tears. So this was it. This was the end of their marriage. In a burst of anger she screamed out. "I loved you, Clark...why couldn't you just love me back?" 

"I tried." Was his whispered response. He sounded so sad. So sincere. 

"Not hard enough!" She spat out. "You didn't try hard enough!" 

"Lois.." Clark choked out while still not looking at her. "I tried... I really did try to love you! I wanted to love you... I really did!..." He looked at her pleadingly. His emerald eyes were flooded with unshed tears. "Its just that...I don't know how to let him go!...I don't even know how to _want_ to let him go!" 

Slap! 

Lois cursed her stupidity because the only thing she managed to accomplish by hitting him, was hurting her own hand. Clark didn't even flinch. 

"I'm sorry, Lois...I never meant to hurt you." The raven haired man whispered out as the tears started to stream down his cheeks. 

She snorted bitterly at his words. 

"I guess I better.....I should leave." He said softly as he nodded at his own affirmation. "I think its best." 

"I agree." She spat out nastily. Then fear over came her when he then turned on his heel and walked toward the balcony. Once the balcony door was opened, she called out almost desperately. "Where are you going to go?" 

The pajama clad man flew up and hovered in the air as he looked into the starless sky. That was one of the many things he really hated about the city. It was impossible to see the stars. But that was now ok because he no longer to looked to the stars to light the way for his direction in life. He shifted his focus and looked toward earth and toward LexCorp Tower. All its lights were on and it stood above every other building in the city. It was his new beacon of light. And it was telling him to come home. 

Lois looked at the young man in front of her. There was an obvious change in his disposition. He looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The weight of the world. "Clark?..." 

Gracefully, he turned to face her. "Lois...You can do whatever you want with `Clark Kent' ... You can kill him off or divorce him, you can even say I ran off on you...Whatever I don`t care... 

"What?!" She was taking back by his words "I can't do that! No one would believe me!" 

"You'd be surprised what people are willing to believe, Lois" Clark said with knowing bitterness. 

She scowled at him. She knew that he was throwing off of her being fooled by his glasses all those years. And reminding her that she wouldn't give Clark a chance because she was hopelessly in love with Kal-El. "What am I supposed to say if someone sees you?" 

"People haven`t seen me in years....So even if they see me walking down the street they won't know its me. They expect me to look like a forty year old `Clark Kent' ... Not..." He gestured to himself. "Not this!" 

"What would your parents say?" Lois asked, trying a new tactic. "How am I supposed to explain that their superhuman son died?' 

Clark bit his lip in contemplation and looked away almost wistfully "They would probably accept it better than the truth." 

"The truth?" She asked flatly. "Which is?" 

He didn't say anything. Just a secret smile at his inner thoughts. 

Her violet eyes narrowed knowingly. "He doesn't want you! " She called out to him bitterly. "He hates your guts, Clark!" 

He looked back at her and the smile fell from his face. Melancholy etched themselves in his emerald eyes. "I truly am sorry, Lois.... I never meant to hurt you." 

When he started to float away from her, she called out knowingly "How long have you been planning this?" 

He cocked his head to the side in a silent question. 

In an angry huff she clarified. "How long have you been planning to leave me, Clark?" 

Clark was silent so long she didn't think that he would answer her question. Until finally. 

"I was never planning it. When I married you... Lex hated me." He looked away ashamed at the truth in that confession. "But now...he only hates Superman." 

Her brow furrowed in confusion then her eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't!" 

"I would...because I hate Superman too!" Clark admitted in a vehemence whisper. "I never wanted these gifts! I just wanted a normal life!" 

"But...but we...The world needs you?!" 

"The world can fuck itself!" Clark spat out hotly. "I've dedicated over half of my life to the _world._ When is it going to be my turn?" 

"What?" 

"I'm tired!" Clark admitted. "Can't you understand that, Lois! I never wanted to be Superman! _You_ " He pointed at her accusingly. "You made me this...this spectacle!" 

She stepped back abashed then step forward in anger. "You never had to keep it up, Clark! You could had disappeared for good. But, no! You stayed and became an even bigger `spectacle' to stay in Luthor's life! So don't you fucking try to blame this on me! _You_ chose to keep it up!" 

"And now I chose to walk away from it" Clark interrupted softly. He looked at her and he could tell she didn't understand. "Even Batman got to retire. Why can't I?" 

"Because its not the same.. and you know it!" 

"Why?" Clark asked bitterly as he floated down to look at her squarely in the eyes. "Because Bruce got too old and I am probably going to live forever?" He shook his head no. "I'm no messiah, Lois. I'm no martyr. I want a normal life. Or as normal as an alien can have!" 

"With Luthor?" She asked nastily. 

Clark nodded without shame. 

"He doesn't want you?" She reminded. There was a sick satisfaction with that knowledge. 

"See that's were you are wrong." He titled his head to side and gave her a beatific closed lip smile before he admitted softly. "I'm the _only_ thing he's ever truly wanted. " 

She snorted at his words. She was tempted to slap him again but thought better of it. "We must not be talking about the _same man_." 

"He hates Superman." Clark repeated "He's never stopped loving me." 

"Same difference." She reminded smugly. 

Clark shrugged his shoulders then disagreed almost wistfully. "Not exactly." 

The answer only served to anger her more. "He hates you Clark, no matter what you _want_ to believe!" 

"He doesn't." Clark retorted softly then paused in his answer and looked down at the ant-sized people walking along the sidewalk. "He's forgiven me" 

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Since when?" 

"Since I got that original copy of `Simply Brilliant.'" He looked up at her imploringly. "Remember that poem Lex wrote...... I finally deciphered what it meant." 

"So you've planning on leaving me for almost a year?" She cut in with bitter malice. 

"No!..No of course not!...I`m just saying that....I _just_ figured out what it meant...Just now!" Clark admitted earnestly with a sheepish grin. "All this time...I thought the message was _in_ the book...That's why I read it so many times...but..It turns out that it was in the _poem._ " His cheeks burned in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head. When she scowled at him, Clark quickly schooled his features and looked away from her and toward LexCorp Tower. "I truly am sorry, Lois....I never meant to hurt you...And I hope you know I _tried_ to love you." 

"Clark..." 

His gaze whipped toward her and he gave her a pleading look. "Please... try to stay out of danger...I won't...be there to rescue you anymore..." 

And with that he was gone. 

Lois couldn't even retort his comment. Instead all she was able to do was watch him fly out her life and toward Luthor's penthouse. 

She stood there for a few minutes. She was shocked stiff at the reality that it was really over. Her marriage was over. Just like that! After everything they had been through. It was over! 

When she haphazardly walked back into their... her bedroom, the first thing she noticed was that damn autobiography on Clark's nightstand. 

Shock quickly melted into raw and unadulterated anger and she threw off the balcony ledge She wanted to scream! She wanted to _kill_ Clark, and not just in name either! She wanted to kill Lex too! Because she knew that he was going to take her husband back. She hated them both! She really did. She hated the both of them for loving each other so obsessively that they didn't care who they hurt, or who they dragged into the middle of their lovers feud. She hated them both for using her body! She hated them for their selfishness! She hated Clark for pitying her, for having to _try_ to love her, Lois hated that she wasted so much time and energy trying to make their marriage work! She hated Clark for leaving her, but not being sorry for the happiness he knew he was going to have with Luthor. She hated Lex for always getting everything he wanted! She hated that the evil bastard was able to have a second chance at _life_! She hated him for not staying dead! 

But most of all, she hated that she was now crying. Clark didn't deserve her tears! 

Lois cried most of that night as she destroyed all of Clarks stuff in a fit of rage. Well almost all of his stuff. His stupid uniform was damn well near indestructible. But that costume did give her an idea. Lex may have made her chuck her story last night, but now she had a better one. 

An exclusive. 

"Superman Gives Up the Hero Biz to be Lex Luthor's Boy Toy" 

The raven haired woman fell to her knees and started laughing bitterly through her sobs. This was petty and she knew it. But she didn't care. She was hurting. She wanted them to hurt too. She just wished that she could see Clark's face when this hits the papers. She hoped that the backlash would destroyed Lex Luthor's business and political aspirations when the public found out. And they _would_ find out that it was Luthor's fault that the world lost their greatest hero. Lois hoped that Clark would try to save face and keep up the Superman persona because she knew that would in turn push Lex away. 

Lois didn't want them to be happy. Not while she was in so much pain. 

Tiredly, she forced herself to her feet and walked out of the bedroom and toward her home office. If she hurried she could have this article finished in time for the evening paper. 

There was no time like the present to get a head start on revenge, and hell hath no fury like love scorned. 

The End 

* * *

A.N. I didn't write the poem. It is anonymous and written during the Victorian time. I learned it a while back ago and I thought it was neat. The message is in the first word of each line. The question is: When Will I Sleep All Night With You Sweet Heart.

This fic was written mostly off of Superman canon. 


End file.
